Mind Games
by BubblyShell22
Summary: When Leo is captured and mentally tortured, his brothers and friends must do all they can to help him regain his memory and help him heal.
1. Chapter 1

Mind Games

Chapter 1: One Shell of a Headache

A/N: This is a plot bunny that randomly just popped into my head and developed into a story. I really hope that all of you enjoy the ride we're about to go on.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and the villain and that's it.

Summary: After Leo is captured and mentally tortured, his brothers and friends must do all they can to regain his memory and help him heal.

The dojo was silent as everyone got ready for practice. This practice was going to be different because the Mighty Mutanimals had decided to join in and help with the training session.

"Okay, Donnie and Rockwell, you're up first," Leo said.

Donnie and the mutant monkey got into position and bowed as custom dictated. Leo gave the signal to begin and the two began the battle. Donnie swiped out with his bo staff, but Rockwell used his telepathic powers to levitate him and threw him against the wall.

"Leo, could you tell Rockwell that it's not fair to use his psychic powers on me?" the Turtle in purple complained.

Leo smiled. "Anything can be a weapon, Donnie," he reminded his brother. "You have to find a way around it."

Donnie gritted his teeth and tried his best effort, but Rockwell kept blocking his attempts. Then Donnie figured out that the mutant was telegraphing all of his moves. With a smile, Don closed his mind of all thought and made his move. As predicted, Rockwell didn't see him coming and was taken down neatly as Donnie vaulted with his bo staff and then kicked Rockwell out of the air.

"Yame!" Leo called out. "Good job, Donnie. You found a way around your opponent and beat him."

Donnie grinned. "Thanks, Leo," he said.

"Okay, Mikey and Mondo, you're up."

Mikey and Mondo Gecko bowed and then began when Leo told them to do so. Both of them were pretty athletic and had some pretty interesting moves. Mondo even got out his skateboard and tried to evade Mikey that way, but the Turtle in orange managed to catch him by surprise and defeated him.

"Nicely done, Mikey," Leo praised him. "You really have shown a lot of focus lately."

"That's because I am the best," Mikey replied as he did a little victory dance.

"Okay, Raph and Leatherhead, it's your turn."

"Wait, why can't I face Slash?" Raph protested.

"Because I'm picking the opponents and I want to face Slash," Leo replied.

Raph grumbled a little but got into position in front of the mutant alligator. At the command to begin, Raph charged the larger mutant and locked up with him. Raph tried to slam him down, but Leatherhead grabbed him and threw him against the wall. As the alligator charged again, Raph dodged him and tried to sweep his legs out from under him, but Leatherhead kept his balance and hit Raph with his tail.

"Sewer apples!" Raph groaned. He tried to knock the alligator down again but with no success and the match was called to a halt.

"Okay, that was not fair!" Raph complained.

"You have to try and get past your opponent, Raph," Leo lectured.

"It doesn't help that Leatherhead is bigger than me," Raph countered.

"Sometimes your opponent will be bigger than you and you have to compensate. You just have to find a way to win."

Raph growled. "Fine, let's see you try," he challenged.

"With pleasure," Leo replied. He got into the middle of the dojo and Slash faced opposite him. They bowed and Raph gave the command to begin. Slash charged at Leo, but the Turtle in blue dodged the attack effortlessly. He tried to sweep Slash's legs from under him, but the larger mutant recovered and knocked Leo down with a kick. Leo got up and blocked a shot from Slash's morningstar. The two were locked in a stalemate until Slash kicked Leo in the stomach and then grabbed him from behind.

"Try getting out of that, Leo," Raph taunted.

Leo grunted as Slash squeezed him and tried to break free, but the grip was permanent. After some quick thinking, Leo threw his head back and hit Slash in the jaw, causing him to release his opponent. Leo followed that up with a roundhouse kick and pinned Slash to the ground. Slash bucked Leo off, causing him to fly into the wall. Leo got up to resume the battle, but suddenly began to clutch his head as a wave of pain tore through him. He sank to his knees, his eyes squeezed shut.

"Leo!" Raph cried. He ran to his brother's side and began rubbing his shell in soothing circles. "Donnie, what's wrong with him?"

"He must have a headache, though I don't know where it came from," answered Donnie.

Raph and Slash helped Leo off the floor and to the living area where they helped him sit down on the couch.

The pain subsided and Leo opened his eyes. "Man, that was not good," he said.

"Do you feel okay, Leo?" Donnie asked him.

"It still hurts, but not as bad as it was," he answered.

"What happened?" Raph asked.

"I don't know," Leo answered. "I was fine and then I just felt this terrific pain in my head. It felt like my head was in a vice."

"Did you have a flashback?" Mikey asked.

"No, not this time."

"What are you guys talking about?" Slash asked.

"Leo used to get headaches after Shredder attacked him," Donnie replied. "Sometimes he would have flashbacks and then get a headache afterward. Splinter helped him to get over that and then he didn't really have them for a while."

"Then, after Sensei died, he began getting them again," Raph chimed in. "It lasted for a little while and then stopped so we figured he was okay. I don't know why he would be getting them again."

"Maybe it's because I hit him and then he hit me with his head," suggested Slash.

"Maybe it is because of that," said Leo. "Don't worry about it. I'll be okay."

"It's time for us to go on patrol," said Raph. "Do you wanna stay here?"

"Yeah, looks like I'll have to sit this one out," answered Leo.

"I'll go make you some tea before we leave," said Mikey as he hurried to the kitchen.

"Maybe Leo shouldn't be by himself," suggested Donnie.

"I'll stay with him," offered Slash.

"Thanks, Slash," said Raph.

"No problem."

Mikey came back with the tea and handed it to Leo.

Leo took a sip and sighed. "Thanks, Mikey," he said. "That should make me feel better."

"It's gonna make you sleepy so you better crash on the couch."

Leo nodded and settled into a sleeping position as Mikey fluffed up the pillow.

"We'll be back soon, bro," Raph said. "Just rest."

Leo nodded and watched as his brothers and their friends left. Sleep was starting to overtake him and he closed his eyes and let darkness take over his mind.

22222

Leo awoke and saw Slash flipping through the channels. He was confused at first and rubbed his eyes.

"Slash, where are the others?"

"They went out on patrol," replied Slash. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah. How long was I out?"

"At least an hour," responded Slash. "Raph just called to say they're picking up food from Murakami's."

"Good. It's been a while since we've had it. Thanks for staying with me, Slash. You really didn't have to do that."

"I know, but I didn't want you to be alone in case it happened again. And if it happened because of me, I'm really sorry."

"It's not your fault, Slash. Don't blame yourself."

Footsteps sounded as everyone came back from patrol carrying bags from the noodle shop. Raph handed Leo a bag and asked him how he was feeling.

"Better," Leo answered.

"Good," Raph said.

While eating the food, they recounted how quiet patrol was and how all they had to stop was a robbery and one mugging.

"Sounds like I didn't miss much," Leo pointed out.

"Nah, but that's a good thing because we need you when the action really comes," Raph replied.

"Well, I guess me and the team will head out," Slash said. "We'll be back another time."

"See you later, Slash, and thanks again," Leo said.

"No problem. Hope you feel better."

After Slash and his team left, Leo turned to his brothers. "It's been a long day, ninjas. We better get to bed."

The others nodded and headed to their respective rooms. Leo settled into bed and kept pondering what had happened to him. Why did it happen so suddenly when he wasn't feeling stressed, and why did it happen without a flashback? Was it an aftereffect of when he hit Slash? Trying to shake off the thoughts, he sighed and settled down to sleep. It was probably just a fluke and wouldn't happen again.

22222

The astral plane materialized as Leo sank into deep meditation. The garden setting was one that often appeared to him when he visited the astral plane, and it always made him happy to see it. He smiled as he strolled around and then picked a few flowers and smelled them.

"You have kept this garden nicely, my son," a familiar voice said.

Leo's face lit up with joy as his father walked toward him. "It's so good to see you, Sensei," he said as he gave his father a hug and buried himself in his father's robe.

"It is good to see you too, Leonardo," Splinter replied. "However, I sense that you are troubled."

"Just a little," admitted Leo. "I had a bad headache yesterday while sparring with Slash."

"Hmm, you have not had any episodes like that in a long time," Splinter noted. "Did you have a flashback before it?"

"No, I just felt this tremendous pain," Leo answered. "What does it mean, Sensei?"

"I do not know, but I would monitor if it happens again and take precaution," Splinter advised. "If it does happen, use the Healing Hands to help you."

"I never thought of that," Leo said. "Maybe that would help me."

"I am sure it would," Splinter said. "I am proud of how you have been handling yourself since my passing."

Leo sighed. "It hasn't been easy, but we're doing the best we can. We still miss you though."

"I know, and I miss you as well. However, you know I am always here for you when you need me."

"I know," Leo said. "It's just not the same though. Sometimes I feel like I'm not living up to what you expect of me."

Splinter put a paw on his son's shoulder. "You are doing a fine job, Leonardo," he reassured him. "Sometimes it will be hard to do everything perfectly and you will have obstacles, but in the end, you will always triumph."

"Thanks, Sensei," Leo said. "I think I'm gonna go on a training run to clear my head."

"You are welcome, my son. I love you." Splinter hugged Leo close and Leo buried his head in his father's fur. Then he pulled back and let the astral plane dissolve as he came back to the real world.

With a sigh, Leo left the dojo and got ready to head topside.

"Where are you going, Leo?" Raph asked him.

"I'm going for a training run," Leo answered.

"You want me to come with you?"

"No, I want to be alone tonight, Raph."

Raph looked at his brother with concern in his green eyes. "Are you okay, bro?"

Leo smiled. "I'm fine, Raph. I just want some alone time. You know how that is."

Raph nodded. "Yeah. I do. Be careful, bro."

"I always am," Leo reassured him.

22222

The night was cool as Leo raced across the rooftops. The visit with Splinter made him feel better, but he still wanted to be alone for a bit to sort out his thoughts. He hadn't had an episode since that training session and figured it was just due to the practice itself and nothing more. As he neared another rooftop and landed, a blinding pain hit his head full force. Leo cried out and sank to his knees. He saw something in the shadows and tried to focus on what it was. A person materialized and smirked at him.

"I was hoping we would meet at last, Leonardo," he said.

Leo tried to block out the pain and stared at the person. "Who are you?" he demanded. "How do you know my name?"

"I have been watching you and your family for a long time," the man said. "As for my name, you may call me The Mind Reader. I have bene studying you closely, and I have been fascinated by your mind and what it contains."

"Who do you work for?" Leo snarled.

"I work for no one," he answered. "I am merely a lone wolf who is in search of some of the most interesting minds to play with."

"Why do you want me?"

"Because your mind is so interesting, Leonardo. There is so much to explore and to investigate with you. You are a noble warrior, but you have doubts and weaknesses just like anyone else though you try to hide it. I feel that I need to study your mind and see how it works."

"I don't think so!" Leo spat. He got to his feet and unsheathed his swords. "You'll have to fight me first."

The Mind Reader simply smirked. "Oh, I don't think it will come to that," he said.

Another wave of pain hit Leo and he dropped his swords and clutched his head. He could hear The Mind Reader laughing and fought to stay awake. But the pain was too much and darkness finally claimed him.

A/N: So, now Leo has a big dilemma on his hands. What will The Mind Reader do to him and will the Turtles get to him in time? You'll have to read on and find out. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Mental Torture

A/N: Here's an update to this story. Sorry it took so long but I am working on other stories too. I want to thank all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. I am sorry I haven't replied to your reviews, but I'll do so when time permits so be on the lookout for it. Your kind words are the key to my motivation. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and the Mind Reader.

Leo woke up with his head pounding. He took in his surroundings and saw that he was in a cell. Okay, that was definitely a cliché thing. Didn't this Mind Reader have more creative ways of locking him in than an ordinary cell? He tried to find a way to escape, but there was no way out. Leo tried to think of an episode of Space Heroes where Captain Ryan was imprisoned and had to escape. That had been a good one, but Captain Ryan had been equipped with a laser gun, and Leo had no such weapon. He would have to ask Donnie about making some.

Hearing footsteps outside his door, Leo tensed and reached for his swords only to discover they were gone. Why did that not surprise him? He went to reach in his belt for his knife but found that his belt had been taken away too. The only thing he had on was his mask. Okay, this definitely complicated things.

The Mind Reader opened his door and smirked at him. "I see you are awake," he remarked. "Do you find your accommodations satisfactory?"

"Actually, they kind of suck," Leo said and smiled. Raph would have been so proud of him for that one.

The Mind Reader sneered. "Such a pity," he simpered. "But now you must come with me for there is something I want to do with you."

Leo wasn't having that. "I think I'd rather stay here. Or, you could let me go."

A wave of pain hit Leo's head, and he sank to his knees.

"That will never happen," the Mind Reader replied. "You will either obey me or your pain will be worse. It's your choice."

Leo tried to fight the pain, but it felt like a vice was squeezing him and the pressure was too much. "Okay," he gasped. "I'll go with you." And with those words, the pain subsided.

"That's better. Follow me."

Leo trailed behind his captor and was taken to a room with a table in it. Was this guy going to dissect him?

The Mind Reader laughed. "Don't worry, I have no desire to cut you up," he said. "I merely want to test your mind and see what makes you tick."

"But you said you've been watching me for some time," Leo pointed out. "Don't you already know what makes me tick?"

"Some things I do, but I still want to explore more. Get on the table."

Leo thought about running but knew what would happen to him if he did that, so he hopped up on the table and laid down. The Mind Reader put electrodes on his head and then stepped back.

"I want you to relax," he said. "Everything will be okay."

Leo highly doubted this, but he said nothing. He waited and then felt a tingle as the Mind Reader entered his mind. Leo saw nothing, but the pain kept getting worse as the Mind Reader probed deeper into his head. He tried to get up to get away, but his limbs wouldn't move.

"That will do for now," the Mind Reader declared. "I will take you back to your quarters so you can rest. But be ready for my next test."

Leo was helped off the table and escorted back to his cell. He felt weak and his head was pounding. He sat in seiza and began to meditate, hoping the break would help him.

The garden materialized, and Leo felt peaceful just being back there. He picked some flowers and smelled them, taking in the soothing scents. A movement caught his eye and he smiled as Splinter came toward him.

"Sensei, I'm so glad you're here," he said.

"So am I," Splinter replied. "I sense that not all is well with you, my son. You are troubled."

"I've been captured by someone known as the Mind Reader," Leo said. "You have to go to the others and tell them what's happened to me. I need their help."

Suddenly, the sky grew dark as rain began to fall and thunder rumbled. Leo shivered and was going to say something to his father, but then a figure loomed up behind his master.

"Shredder!" Leo gasped. "Sensei, watch out!" He tried to push his father out of the way, but his legs gave out and he fell. Shredder stabbed Splinter, and he fell to the ground in a lifeless heap.

"Nooo!" Leo yelled.

Shredder began laughing. "Foolish Turtle, you think you are strong, but you are weak. You will always be weak. Even your family does not care for you."

"That's not true!" Leo yelled.

"Really? Tell that to them."

More figures appeared and Leo saw his brothers standing before him. They had smirks on their faces as they gazed at him.

"You're such a loser, Leo," Raph taunted. "Everyone knows I would have made a better leader than you any day. We're better off without you and hope you stay away forever."

"Raph, how could you say that?" Leo asked.

"You always act like you're better than us, but we all know the truth," Donnie said. "You're fake. You're a fraud. You will never be better than us no matter how much you push us around to do what you want. It would be better if you never existed."

Leo couldn't believe what he was hearing. He tried to say something else, but Mikey cut him off.

"Don't you say a word," Mikey hissed. "You always treated me like a baby and like I was never good enough. But you know what? I've gotten better since you've been gone and even Raph and Donnie don't tease me anymore. You're just a waste of space, Leo, and we don't need you anymore."

Leo kept protesting, but his brothers continued to chant their hatred of him. Splinter lay motionless on the ground and Shredder continued laughing at him. Leo fought as hard as he could until he exited the astral plane. His head was pounding again and he felt really weak. Did his brothers really think that way about him? Had he always treated them like that?

"Guys, I'm sorry," he whispered. "Please help me."

22222

Raph was flipping through the TV channels when Donnie came into the room.

"Has anyone seen Leo?" he asked.

"He left on a training run," Raph answered. "He should be back soon."

"That was three hours ago, Raph," Donnie pointed out. "Leo never takes more than an hour for his runs."

"Maybe he got sidetracked by an awesome looking pizza or a cool shaped cloud," Mikey predicted.

"That's your thing, Mikey, not Leo's," Raph said. "You think we should just wait for him?"

"I have a feeling something's really wrong," Donnie said. "We'd better go look for him."

"Can you track his phone?" Raph asked him.

Donnie pulled out his T-Phone and activated the tracking feature. "Nothing's showing up which means his phone must have been destroyed. He always has it on."

A bolt of alarm coursed through Raphael, though he did his best to keep his cool. He knew it wouldn't do to go in a rage right now. "Okay, I say we patrol the city and look for any clues as to what happened to him."

"What if we don't find him?" Mikey asked fearfully.

"Then we'll regroup and figure out another plan," Raph answered. "Let's move."

As he led is brothers topside, Raph couldn't help but feel guilty. He should have gone with Leo on the training run. But if that had happened, who's to say they both wouldn't have gotten captured? He tried to shake these thoughts away as they traversed the city in search of their lost brother. However, nothing new seemed to come up.

"What now?" Mikey asked.

"We go home, regroup, and try again tomorrow," answered Raph.

Feeling the sting of defeat, the three brothers headed home. Mikey retreated to his room while Donnie headed to his lab to work on something. Raph retreated to the dojo to work off some of his anger through katas and punching, but after an intense workout, Raph still felt angry. He took a deep breath and decided that maybe meditation would help him feel closer to Leo even though he was the one who always hated the practice.

He sat down, closed his eyes, and tried to clear his mind. Soon, the same dojo he was in materialized on the astral plane. As he took in his surroundings, he gasped as a familiar figure came toward him.

"Master Splinter?" he asked.

"It is good to see you, Raphael," Splinter said. "I was hoping I would reach one of you. Leonardo is in trouble."

"We've looked everywhere, Sensei, but we can't find him," Raph explained.

"He has been captured by someone known as the Mind Reader and is in need of your help," Splinter replied. "I do not know where he is located, only that he needs you and wanted me to relay the message."

"That's more information than we had before," said Raph. "Thanks, Sensei."

"You are welcome, my son. Be safe."

"I'll bring him home, Father," Raph promised.

Splinter nodded and the image faded away until Raph found himself alone. He bolted up and hurried to Donnie's lab to relay what Splinter had told him.

They were going to bring their brother home!

22222

Leo groaned as he woke up in his cell. He had just endured another torture session courtesy of the Mind Reader and he wasn't sure what was going to happen anymore. He felt really feverish and weak. He tried to think of something, but it remained out of his grasp. Was he supposed to be here? Did the Mind Reader want him here to keep him? Did he have any family to go to? No, that was insane. He had no family. Who was he and where did he belong? How did he become what he was?

He tried desperately to remember something to anchor him, but nothing was there.

He was all alone.

He had no one.

22222

"Are you sure that's what Splinter told you?" Donnie asked his brother.

"Positive," Raph said.

"But how will we know where Leo is?" Mikey asked.

"Well, we may not be able to track his phone, but April and Dr. Rockwell can always sense someone close by," Donnie answered. "We can use them to track where Leo is and rescue him."

"Sounds good to me," said Raph. "Let's go find our brother."

22222

April and Rockwell concentrated as hard as they could on Leo. With both of their powers combined, they were able to be stronger in the tracking department than if they had done this separately.

"We have a lead on him," April announced. "His energy is very weak, but it's still there. It seems to be coming from the north."

"Then let's go," Raph said.

They hurried across the rooftops and adjusted their direction based on what Rockwell and April told them and arrived at an abandoned warehouse not far from Foot Headquarters.

"Leo's definitely in there," April whispered.

Not wanting to waste any time, Raph broke down the door and rushed inside. He found the main room empty of anyone and thought that was a bad sign.

"Leonardo is in the far cell," Rockwell reported.

"Stay alert, everyone," Raph cautioned.

They made their way through the main room and to a group of cells. Spotting the far one, Raph ran to it and tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. Donnie tried picking the lock, but it was too strong and not made for ordinary lock picks.

"Allow me," Rockwell said. He focused his mind on the lock and it soon gave way.

Raph ran inside and found Leo lying on the floor. "Leo, can you hear me?" he asked. "Leo, please wake up."

"He's burning with fever," Slash reported as he felt Leo's forehead.

"We gotta get him out of here," Rpah said. He leaned down and picked up his prone brother.

"Oh, you won't be going anywhere," a voice said as a man materialized out of the shadows. "I had a feeling you would come for your brother."

"What did you do to him, you son of a bitch?" Raph demanded.

"He was merely a game for me," the Mind Reader said. "It turned out he wasn't as strong as I thought he was and he was very easy to play with. I only hope you will be as easy for me to play with as well."

Raph turned to his team. "Fight with everything you have," he instructed. "Slash, you get Leo out of here while we take care of this guy."

Slash nodded and took Leo from Raph.

Once Raph was free of his brother, he lunged for the Mind Reader, weapons poised to strike. With a smirk, the Mind Reader merely looked at him, and pain crackled through Raph's head as an image of Leo laughing at him appeared in front of him.

"You're so pathetic, Raph," Leo taunted. "You think you're so great, but you're worthless."

Raph's other brothers also appeared and said similar things to him that Raph tried to block out. Then the rage just took control of him and he lashed out at Leo to punch him in the face, but he slashed his throat instead. Raph gasped as blood spurted out and Leo fell in a lifeless heap. Raph looked down and saw that he had gauntlets just like Shredder used to wear.

"Give in to the rage, Raphael," Shredder's voice taunted. "Let your anger consume you. Together, we could rule the world."

"Nooo!" Raph yelled.

22222

"Raph!" Donnie yelled as he saw his brother go to his knees. He pulled out his bo and ran at the Mind Reader, intent on taking him down. An intense pain hit him in the head, and Donnie sank to his knees as an image of April appeared in front of him.

"I can't believe how stupid you are!" she laughed. "Did you really think I would ever like a freak like you? You're so pathetic. No one will ever love a freak like you, Donatello."

"That's not true!" Donnie yelled.

22222

"Leave my brothers alone!" Mikey yelled as he lunged at the Mind Reader. Pain filled his head and he saw his brothers laughing at him.

"You're weak!" Leo taunted.

"You're nothing but a big baby!" Donnie added.

"You're a horrible ninja!" Raph chimed in.

"No, I'm an awesome ninja!" Mikey yelled. "Stop laughing at me!"

22222

"What's going on?" Slash demanded.

"He's using his mind to play tricks on the Turtles," Rockwell reported.

"Then we need to use our minds to beat him," April said. She used her senses to project a shield over each of the Turtles and they came out of their trances. Then, she and Rockwell combined their powers and sent them after the Mind Reader. The man began screaming as the combined force became too much for him. He crumpled to the ground and became unconscious.

"Is he dead?" Mikey whispered.

"I don't know, but we need to get out of here," Raph said. He led them out of the warehouse and back to the Lair.

They set Leo on the bed in the infirmary and Donnie checked him over thoroughly.

"What's the word, Donnie?" Raph asked.

"He has a bad fever, but I think we can knock it down in time," Donnie reported. "Let's get him into the bathtub."

Raph felt an eerie sense of déjà vu as he helped carry their unconscious brother into the bathtub. He really didn't want to deal with this again. Why did this have to happen to his brother? He took a seat next to the bathtub just as he'd done at the farmhouse.

"Raph, maybe we should just leave him for a bit," Donnie suggested. "He'll be fine."

"No!" Raph insisted. "I want to stay here."

Donnie nodded and they left Raph to keep vigil over Leo.

22222

A few days passed, and Leo still hadn't woken up. His fever had broken so they put him back in the infirmary to let him heal as he should. Raph never left his side though the others tried to coax him to take breaks for eating. Raph insisted on having his meals brought to him in the infirmary, and Mikey obliged so that Raph could stay with Leo.

"Raph, you need to take a break," Slash urged.

Raph jumped a little because he'd been so lost in this thoughts that he hadn't heard his friend come into the room. "I'm fine here," he replied.

"Look, brother, I get that you want to stay with Leo, but I don't think he would want you to wear yourself out like this."

Raph glared at his friend. "You just don't get it!" he snapped. "Do you even know what it's like to sit there and watch someone who can't even talk to you and thinking about how they could die? It was hell seeing Leo like that at the farmhouse and for three months I had to sit there and wonder if he would live or not. You have no idea what that's like!"

"No, I don't, but you can still take a break," Slash urged. "I'll keep an eye on him and let you know if anything changes."

"I can't," Raph whispered. "This sucks, Spike. This just fucking sucks." Tears began pouring out of his eyes before he could stop them and sobs wracked his body.

Slash immediately pulled him in for a hug and rubbed his shell in soothing circles. "I know it does, Raph," he soothed. "It's okay to cry, brother. I'm here for you." He didn't even mind that Raph had called him by his former name. It made sense given what he was going through. "It's gonna be okay. Spike's here for you."

Raph continued to sob and hold onto his friend. It felt like the old days when Raph would always go to his pet turtle for comfort in a bad situation except this time, his pet could actually talk and give him words of comfort instead of just looking at him and munching on a leaf.

22222

"Well, it's just another regular day here, Leo," Raph said to his brother. "It's been real quiet without you here. We've tried to get back into training, but it's just not the same as before. We need you, bro. I know I've been a pain at times, but you're our rock and the only one we have left now that Sensei's gone. Man, I wish he was here! He always tried to find a way to make things better and told us not to give up hope. I know I've always been cynical about that stuff, but I'm doing my damndest to keep the hope alive that you'll wake up. I don't want you to give up, Leo. You have to wake up, okay?"

He expected to be greeted like silence the same as every time he tried to talk to his brother, but he suddenly heard a moan and his heart leapt.

"Leo?" he gasped.

His brother opened his blue eyes and looked around in confusion.

Raph leapt up and hurried to his brother's side. "It's so good to have you back!" he cried.

Leo's eyes widened and he recoiled from his brother in horror.

Raph immediately put his hands up in a calming gesture. "Leo, calm down," he soothed. "You're home and you're safe now."

Leo was still shaking as he looked at his brother. Then his mouth opened, but what came out wasn't what Raph thought he would hear.

"Who are you?"

A/N: So, now Leo has no memory of his brother. What will that mean for the Hamato family? Well, you'll have to read on to find out. I am working on other stories too so if you don't see an update for this one, that's why. However, I will try my best to get back to this one when I can. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


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